Salt Water
by ZombieMops
Summary: Diego and Ben are often stuck doing missions together. Usually, they don't turn out that well. Diego/Ben friendship, set during my other fic, Pictures of Us.


A/N: I'm so sorry about the lack of update to Pictures of Us! I promise you all I AM working on it, it's just… slow going, heh. This is to prove I'm alive, though! A snippet of a scene set right before chapter 6.

Diego didn't hate Ben. Ben was sweet, Ben was a good person. Ben was a dark figure sinking into the ever darker ocean, black blending in with black.

_Fuck._ Diego hovered near the surface for a split second before he turned, diving down deeper, willing himself to catch on to an arm, tentacle, anything. Nearly blind in the murky water, his fingertips brushed fabric. He snatched desperately at it, following it to a still face, yet still to grip a bicep.

Tightly clinging to his unconcious brother, Diego kicked, fighting to drag them both back up to the surface, glimmering far, so far above them, teasing. Something slithered up Diegos arm, a tentacle suctioning hard around his wrist. There was no letting go, even if Diego had been so willing, the monsters inside Ben wanted him to go down with their host.

His arms ached by the time he reached the surface, bursting out, mouth open and gasping. He briefly remembered her had no need for such theatrics, hauling his larger brother forward. Head above the surface, breathing was a priority for Ben, not for Diego.

The cape was heavy, dragging them back down, trying to drown them. Diego turned, treading water and yanking the hood down from the unconcious boys head. He ripped the cape from the emerald adorning Bens chest, letting it swirl away into the darkness like some sort of demonic sting ray.

There was a seaside cliff, but it was a short ways up to the first proper landing. Diego dragged himself up, tentacle still wrapped firmly around his arm. He reached down, pulling Ben up the harsh rock, task made easier minus the cape.

Diego settled him down onto the rocks, mind drawing a blank. What the hell was he supposed to do? What were they doing on those tv shows Allison always insisted on watching?

...Oh. Yeah. Right. Diego grimaced. "If you're alive, you fucking owe me one." He crouched over his brother, pounding desperately on his rib cage. "Don't you fucking make me... ah, shit." Open mouth, tilt back, pinch nose... breathe into his mouth. Repeat.

Finally, _finally_, after what seemed like ages and Diego had just about given up on keeping any sort of his dignity or saving his brothers life, Ben coughed. And coughed again, a near ocean of water bubbling up out of his mouth. In a shaking fit, the boy turned over and promptly threw up on Diegos pants.

"You're alive!" Far too happy to mind the vomit staining his costume, Diego pulled Ben up and over into a tight hug, crushing the still-breathless teen against his chest. They sat there on the cliff for a moment as Ben continued to pant and wheeze into the fabric of Diegos shirt, breath hot and erratic.

"Where's my mask?" Ben gasped out finally. "Where's my _cape?_"

Diego scowled, a little bit offended at Bens priorities. "I tore them off so I could fucking get you out without killing the both of us."

"You saved me...?" Ben asked, sounding entirely disbelieving, eyes inching upwards but not daring to move his head.

Diego shifted so he wasn't quite crushing the life out of his brother, and moved to pet his pale hair, detangling the salt-water-saturated locks. "'Course I did. Thought I'd let you drown? Idiot." He felt Ben grin and instantly regretted what he'd said. Oh, god, had he just been emotionally vulnerable? "Not like a give a shit or anything, just that Hargreeves would've had my ass grounded for two years if you kicked the bucket." He hastily added, but the damage was done. Ben scooted forward and wrapped his arms around Diegos waist, the only part he could reach from his position and nuzzled his face closer into Diegos shirt.

"Thanks." He said sincerely, quietly.

"I swear to christ, Ben, sometimes you're gayer than Klaus."

"I love you, too." Ben replied without missing a beat.


End file.
